Changing Of The Guard

Jimmy Carter...drying out from a soggy weekend...

Hats off to anyone who makes a living booking outdoor concerts! With the crazy weather, these days that is a very scary job.

NASCAR's weekend was messed up with rain ... as was most everything in Florida on the East Coast and NW panhandle. Montgomery's Jubilee Cityfest had low attendance with rain all the time except when the music was playing ... damage had already been done.

Arena shows for Keith Urban are looking smarter all the time....

The exit this week for Jay Leno should be a little sad for Music Row ... Jay has been a great friend. Much more country-friendly than Carson was ... Much more than Letterman or Conan. We shall see what evolves for Conan, who will have to drift a little more mainstream in his music picks. Jimmy Kimmel is a fun show to watch if you've never tried it.

Taylor Swift got great reviews in L.A. after her Staples Center show. John Mayer sang and the fans screamed. Reviewer even used the Beatle word for fan reaction to the show....

YouTube videos are all over the place with material from Keith Urban and Taylor. Saw one last night of Keith with Jamey Johnson doing a great rendition of "In Color."

The George Strait salute is this week, Wednesday May 26th at 8 ET on CBS. Major show and they put it out of the ratings period. Will probably draw an older audience, but it should do well against all the repeats. George is still the best!

Brad Paisley's "Then" is his 10th #1 in a row ...14th overall. His new CD is "American Saturday Night" and is out June 30th. I loved every cut and it would be hard to decide which ones are singles. It may even be his best CD yet. Great variety and his songs hit home more than ever.

Hopefully the economy is stabilizing. The fuel prices going up over the Memorial holiday are troubling. Those 18-wheelers and buses drink a lot of fuel. Fans don't need one more reason to not go to a show.

A big show and one of the first huge Summer festivals is coming up in a few days, BamaJam near Enterprise, AL. Taylor Swift among the stars. Aggressive marketing in the region and a good star lineup.

Summer is here; if the fans and the behind-the-scenes people can stop worrying about their jobs. Hard to focus with that going on ... hard to have fun. Montgomery Gentry told me this weekend that the folks are still coming out, maybe more than ever to let off some steam.